Libby Denkmann
Host, Soundside
About
Libby Denkmann has covered veterans' issues, homelessness, and local politics during her radio journalism career. She became the host of KUOW's Soundside in November 2021. Previously she was a producer, reporter, anchor, and host for stations KIRO, KFI, and KPCC in Seattle and Los Angeles. During a yearlong hiatus from journalism in 2011, she worked as a congressional staffer in Washington, D.C.. Libby was born in Seattle, grew up on the eastside, and graduated from the University of Washington. Her favorite things include soccer, video games, and her dog, Monty.
Location: Seattle
Languages: English, limited Japanese and Portuguese
Pronouns: she/her
Podcasts
Stories
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WA Legislature ends 2023 session without Blake fix
Lawmakers in Olympia took on big issues this session like housing, abortion access, and gun control. The 2023 session will also be remembered for a major piece of legislation that unraveled at the last minute. As the clock ticked down, the State House failed to pass a new drug possession law.
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Soundside goes to the movies: How do we get productions set in WA to actually film here?
There are lots of movies set in Washington state and the Pacific Northwest, like "Sleepless in Seattle," or "Twilight." But many aren't actually filmed here. Soundside spent a day at the movies talking local classics and how we can get more movies produced in the region.
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Remembering the intellectual clarity of the late Beth Bentley's poetry
Beth Bentley was a teacher and poet who, along with her husband — poet Nelson Bentley — left an indelible mark on Seattle's literary scene. When she died in 2021, she and her son Sean were working on her final poetry collection, titled "Missing Addresses," which is set to publish this month.
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Searching beyond grunge to the rock 'n' roll heart of the 'Northwest sound'
But long before the region made its mark through indie rock and hip hop, there was another golden era of music here in the Pacific Northwest. From the 1940s to the 1960s, cities like Seattle, Olympia, and Tacoma were developing a distinctly Pacific Northwest flavor of R&B and rock and roll.
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Calves born during Spring blizzards face an uphill battle
NW News Network correspondent Anna King joins Soundside host Libby Denkmann to talk about the newest issue troubling NW ranchers - Freezing temperatures well into Spring that kill calves before they're able to get up off the ground.
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Could an aging WA fleet lead to more ferry mishaps?
The M/V Walla Walla has been running for 50 years and Seattle Times transportation reporter David Kroman says aging boats are having cascading effects on the state’s ferry system.
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Celebrate Earth Day with these local environmental orgs
Earth day began in 1970 as part of a public pressure campaign to support policies that became the Clean Air Act, the establishment of the EPA, things like that. Today the environmental movement has come so far -- is Earth Day still necessary? These environmental stewards say yes.
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Washington schools need more deaf educators
Late last month, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that a deaf student could sue his Michigan school system – under the Americans with Disabilities Act – for providing inadequate services. The family of Miguel Luna Perez says his constitutional rights were violated because he was provided an ASL aide who did not, in fact, know American Sign Language. Nationwide, there’s a shortage of qualified deaf education teachers for public schools, including here in Washington.
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Hear It Again: The fraught political battle over national monuments
With the news of new national monuments in Nevada and Texas, and a renewed push for a national monument around Grand Canyon National Park, we revisit our conversation with McKenzie Long about her book: "This Contested Land: The Storied Past and Uncertain Future of America's National Monuments."
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Charting change in Beacon Hill with poet Roberto Ascalon
The Bureau of Fearless Ideas (BFI) is one large classroom on the ground floor of the Yesler Terrace complex, a multi-use housing development in Beacon Hill. The walls are packed with language – words, rhymes, and creative affirmations. It's here that Roberto Ascalon, the poet in residence, is a mentor to new poets.